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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204310">Charmed: Generation Z - The Lost Stories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofSpaceGays5/pseuds/PrinceofSpaceGays5'>PrinceofSpaceGays5</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Charmed: Generation Z [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Charmed (TV 1998)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe - Charmed (TV) Fusion, Brotherhood, Brotherly Bonding, College Setting, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Demonic Possession, Drug Use, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Fatherhood, Gay Romance, Gay Sex, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Marriage, Motherhood, Multi, Multi-Era, Next Generation, One-Shots, Parenthood, Past life, Post-Canon, Prequel, Sequel, Sex Work, Shooting, Side Story, Slice of Life, Straight Romance, Time Skips, bisexual romance, dark future, dark timeline, high school setting, multiple relaitonships, psychedelics, school setting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:42:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204310</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofSpaceGays5/pseuds/PrinceofSpaceGays5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shot stories and adventures focusing on the Halliwell brothers: Wyatt, Chris, and Joey. These stories fill in the gaps of Charmed: Generation Z, feature prequel narratives, and include interesting adventures that did not fit the overarching narrative.</p><p>Must read Charmed: Generation Z first otherwise some stories won't make sense and you'll get spoilers from the villain reveals and the character deaths. </p><p>Will be updated inconsistently.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bianca/Chris Halliwell, Chris Halliwell/Original Female Character(s), Joey Halliwell/Original male characters, Wyatt Halliwell/Original Female Character(s), Wyatt Halliwell/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Charmed: Generation Z [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144196</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Piper's Boys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Howdy! Welcome to the first one-shot for Charmed: Generation Z - The Lost Stories! </p><p>I decided to start with something short and easy which is Piper's pregnancy with Joey. So consider this one-shot your prequel to the main story.</p><p>I hope you enjoy it! Also, if you have any suggestions of stories then feel free to let me know and maybe I'll get to them!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Piper Halliwell stood in the kitchen, placing a handful of spaghetti noodles into a boiling pot. She added a dash of salt into the pot before stepping away from the stove.</p><p>The sound of rushing water and playful chattering brought a smile to Piper’s face. She spotted Leo doing the dishes then noticed their little boys, Wyatt and Chris, coloring at the kitchen table. Almost ten years passed since she got her magic and it would take until now for things to finally calm down enough where she could stop and smell the roses. </p><p>Life got incredibly quiet for Piper and her family after the Ultimate Battle. With the Triad dead, evil didn’t have any forces great enough to face the Charmed Ones. The few demons and warlocks brave enough to face Piper and her sisters proved rather pathetic compared to the Source of All Evil and Zankou. It meant that Piper and her sisters had no trouble with finding a new work/life balance that actually allowed them to settle down and build their families. </p><p>A privilege that they took quite literally. </p><p>After doing Henry a favor in finding another cop’s parole, the sisters found the parole only to witness a demon kill him and leave a little boy, around Wyatt and Chris’s age, orphaned. Paige and Henry adopted the boy and named him Henry Jr. since the boy’s father never bothered to name him. Now, while Paige adopted, Phobe and Piper resulted in growing their families the old-fashioned way. Surprising everyone, Phoebe and Piper got pregnant around the same time. Phoebe was a little over two months ahead in her pregnancy than Piper, but it meant that they went through the trials and tribulations of pregnancy together. </p><p>Piper thanked her lucky stars that she didn’t have the go through another pregnancy alone. While having Leo around full-time and free of his Whitelighter duties was great, Piper enjoyed seeing Phoebe suffer alongside her more.</p><p>Piper groaned and touched her stomach. She sighed deeply.</p><p>Leo finished the dishes and noticed Piper’s painful expression. He frowned as he went over to her, holding her hand as only an angel could. “Are you okay, honey? Is the baby causing you trouble?”</p><p>“A little.” Piper shook it off. “Yup. This is second-trimester pains.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Leo kissed her forehead. “Want me to finish dinner so you can rest?”</p><p>Piper stared at the pot. She hesitated for a second when she had to remind herself that she was making spaghetti and meatballs. It wasn’t a complicated dish. While Leo wasn’t a great cook like her, it wasn’t something that he could easily mess up. “Yeah. Just be sure to mix the <em>you-know-what</em> very well into the meatballs.” Piper eyed the bowl of diced spinach next to the ground beef. Leo nodded. They worked hard on making sure that Wyatt and Chris would eat their vegetables, which included mixing veggies into their favorite foods without them knowing. </p><p>Piper went to the kitchen table. She took a seat across from the boys, watching as they mindlessly colored on some scratch paper together. </p><p>Wyatt and Chris got so big so quickly. Wyatt would start kindergarten soon, while Chris would begin Pre-K. It reminded Piper how precious their time together was, especially with another baby coming. Piper couldn’t help but picture them as the young men that came back in time on numerous occasions, especially Chris. </p><p>“Done!” screamed Wyatt and Chris.</p><p>“Done with what?” asked Piper.</p><p>Wyatt grabbed their drawing. His little hands clutching onto the paper while he beamed with so much joy. The drawing had a big red and pink house with four stick figures outside, one of which had a big belly. “Me and Chris drew us!” Wyatt gave the picture to Piper while he scooted closer as Chris half-climbed onto the table.</p><p>Chris pointed at the house. “There’s the howse!” </p><p>Piper smiled. “It is. But get off the table, Peanut. You know better.”</p><p>“Sowie, mommy.” Chris got off the table before he got yelled at again.</p><p>Wyatt scooted over so that Chris could stand on his chair too. Piper would’ve yelled at them about that too, but decided to stay silent since they weren’t fighting for a pleasant change. </p><p>“And there’s daddy!” Wyatt pointed at the tallest of the stick figures. “And there’s me and Chris! And there’s you and the baby!” He pointed at the stick figure with the big belly.</p><p>Leo saw the drawing from across the kitchen and chuckled. He noticed Piper glare daggers at him, forcing him to focus on mixing the meatballs. “Boys. You know your mommy’s belly isn’t that big.”</p><p>“Not yet!” Chris tugged on his overalls as he stuttered out his words. “But Auntie Phoebe’s belly is! That means. Um. Mommy’s will too.”</p><p>Piper shrugged. “They’re right.” She smiled as she leaned over to kiss Wyatt and Chris’s forehead. “I love it, boys. It’s going on the fridge.”</p><p>“Yay!” screamed the boys.</p><p>*~*</p><p>A few weeks later, Piper brought a plate of cookies to the sunroom, while the boys ran around the house with little Henry. Wyatt and Chris started calling him Hank so that they wouldn’t get him confused with their Uncle Henry. Little Henry didn’t mind and even began to enjoy calling himself Hank.</p><p>The boys ran to play tag in the sitting room, leaving Piper alone with her sisters. Paige yelled at the boys not to run but found it almost pointless since they wouldn’t listen because of their overexcitement. Meanwhile, Phoebe remained mostly silent while resting her hands on her growing belly.</p><p>Phoebe grinned when she spotted the cookies. “God, Piper. You have no idea how much I’ve craved your chocolate chip cookies.”</p><p>“Well, eat up!” Piper passed the plate. “I don’t want your baby getting mad at me because you didn’t get to eat what you want.”</p><p>“Is that really a thing?” asked Paige.</p><p>“Don’t know,” said Piper. “But my new assistant manager, Luisa, told me that’s what happened with her cousin and aunt, so I’d rather not risk it. It’s like when we turned into monsters during the Blue Moon.”</p><p>Phoebe shivered. “Don’t remind me. It took me forever to get rid of the extra back hair.” She grabbed a cookie and moaned. The rich chocolatey taste immediately satisfied all her cravings. “Uh! I miss having your cooking all the time.” She grabbed another cookie.</p><p>Paige shook her head. She took a cookie for herself and began to pick at it. “So! Since you’re both so far along. Did you find out the sex yet? And have you picked names?” Paige and Phoebe’s eyes immediately fell onto Piper. They wanted Piper to go first since Paige and Phoebe already discussed baby names.</p><p>Screaming echoed across the manor. The sisters instinctively looked but found the boys still playing without any trouble.</p><p>Piper clicked her tongue. “Well...I think I’ve let go of the idea of Prudence Melinda.”</p><p>“Does that mean you’re having a boy?” asked Phoebe.</p><p>“I don’t know yet. And I don’t want to know until the baby gets here.” Piper shook her head. “I’ve held out on having a little girl for so long that I don’t want to get my hopes up. So Leo and I picked a new name. If we’re having a girl then we’ll name her Janice after Grandpa Allen’s sister.”</p><p>“Aw!” said Paige. “I like that name. And if it’s another boy?”</p><p>Piper grinned. “Joseph.”</p><p>Phoebe nodded. “After grandpa?” Phoebe turned to Paige as she noticed Paige squinting her eyebrows. “Not Grandpa Allen. Our dad’s dad.”</p><p>“Oh!” Paige wiggled her fingers. “That’s right. I forgot that Victor’s dad’s name was Joseph. That’s really cute. So you’ll get a baby with a J either way.” Paige grabbed another cookie. “Speaking of J-names. Didn’t you settle on a J too, Phoebe?”</p><p>Piper smirked. “Really?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Phoebe sat up on the sofa. She scooted a little closer to Piper too. “But first I know you said that gave up on Prudence Melinda, but...I want to ask your permission, is it okay if I use Prudence? For your niece.”</p><p>“Niece?” Tears trickled down Piper’s face. “You’re having a girl?”</p><p>Phoebe nodded. “Coop and I decided on the name last week. We’re naming her Prudence Joanna.”</p><p>Piper’s jaw dropped. “I love that name. It’s so cute.”</p><p>“Really?” Phoebe started to cry too. “You’re not mad that I stole part of the name?”</p><p>“No! Honey, of course not.” Piper hugged Phoebe, both of them crying now. “It’s a great name. You should give it to my niece!”</p><p>Paige sniffled as she finished her cookie. “I’m so glad we dodged that fight.”</p><p>*~*</p><p>After a surprisingly easy trip to the hospital, Piper gave birth to Joseph Noel Halliwell. And right away, she loved all seven pounds and eight ounces of this little boy. While not getting the little girl she always wanted, she welcomed the little boy with all the love in her heart. </p><p>Settling into life with another kid, Piper worked on finishing the family’s laundry. She didn’t have Leo home since he helped manage P3. Luckily, Victor decided to stay for the first month so that Piper had the extra help around the house. He left to do a grocery run, which allowed her to finish the laundry with only minimal stress. </p><p>Piper made sure to separate Wyatt and Chris’s clothes so that they didn’t accidentally dress in each other’s clothes, again. Poor kids. Wyatt struggled to walk around the house in Chris’s smaller clothes, while Wyatt’s clothes drowned Chris. </p><p>“Done!” Piper pushed the dresser door shut. She sighed. “I’m done for the day. I’ll make Leo do our laundry.” She brushed her forehead. Her exhaustion began to hit her at once as she realized how little rest she got even with Victor’s help around the manor. She could only imagine how Phoebe and Coop were doing with PJ. </p><p>Piper gave a deep yawn. She contemplated taking a nap when she remembered that Wyatt and Chris were running around somewhere. There was no rest for this witch. Piper grabbed the empty laundry basket and the baby monitor when she heard cooing. </p><p>The baby monitor picked up the sound and Piper heard it from Joseph’s crib in her bedroom. While they had Joseph’s nursery ready, she decided that Joseph should sleep in their room for the first few months before moving his crib into a separate room. She would’ve ignored it but she heard Wyatt and Chris giggling too. “Please,” groaned Piper. “Please don’t be torturing your brother.”</p><p>Rushing to her bedroom, Piper found Wyatt and Chris standing over Joseph’s crib while light-blue orbs danced over them.</p><p>The boys brought chairs from their bedroom for the height that they needed. Wyatt wiggled his fingers as he conjured the orbs and Chris squinted his eyes to make the orbs move. Leo made a mobile of the planets in the solar system and attached it to the crib. The boys used the orbs to push the planets, providing Joseph’s baby brain with all the entertainment that he could process. </p><p>“You like that, Joey?” asked Wyatt.</p><p>Chris nodded. “He luvs it!”</p><p>Joseph cooed as he stared at the pretty lights.</p><p>Piper rolled her eyes, but she smiled too. “Boys.” She spoke softly so as not to scare Wyatt and Chris. They turned their heads as they feared that they got into trouble, while the orbs also vanished. With the orbs gone, Joseph started to cry a little. “Boys. Be careful when using your magic around Joey. You don’t want to risk accidentally hurting him.”</p><p>“Sowie, mommy,” said the boys. </p><p>Piper pushed the mobile so that it would move. However, without the lights, Joseph didn’t like it quite as much but he didn’t cry. He did look upset as his coos got angrier. Piper turned to Wyatt and Chris. “Okay. Do it again before Joey starts crying.”</p><p>Wyatt and Chris nodded. Wyatt conjured more orbs and Chris made them move, which got Joseph to cry excitedly. </p><p>Piper sat on her bed and chuckled. “These are my boys.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Spilling Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heeey! Another quick little one-shot. This time we're visiting the most crucial moment in Joey's life that takes place shortly before the first chapter of the main story. Yes. It is the moment where Zurie begins unbinding Joey's powers, triggering the events of the main story. This one-shot takes place roughly two months before chapter one begins.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the foyer of Halliwell manor, a battle came to an end.</p><p>“Damn you, witches!” howled a dark-haired Familiar Hunter. Fire burned across the Familiar Hunter’s body as the vanquishing potion did its job. The Familiar Hunter exploded as the warlock got sent to the Demonic Wasteland.</p><p>The smoke faded and left a faint scorch mark on the floors that would take a bit of work to buff out, but it didn’t matter. Piper sighed. Her shoulders relaxed after the ordeal. She turned behind her to find a seventeen-year-old Chris covering a thirteen-year-old Joey who protected a black cat. </p><p>Chris moved away from Joey who stood near the staircase as he covered the black cat. Joey’s eyes left wide after seeing Piper vanquish the Familiar Hunter while the cat’s soft meows echoed across the manor.</p><p>Piper went over to her boys. “Well, it looks like you’re having an adventurous summer break. Are you, boys, okay?”</p><p>“Fine,” said Chris.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.” Joey gently petted the cat’s head. “And little Salem is good too.”</p><p>Chris squinted his eyes. “You named the stray Familiar?”</p><p>Joey huffed. “I did and he’s not a stray. I’m sure that his witch is still out there and probably misses him dearly!”</p><p>“That’s right.” Piper gently took Salem from Joey. She handed the cat to Chris. “Why don’t you orb Salem to Katrina. I’m sure that she can find his witch. Can you handle that?”</p><p>Chris nodded. “Leave it to me. I’ll be back soon.” Light-blue orbs surrounded Chris as he orbed to the home of Piper’s former Familiar turned human, Katrina aka Kit the Cat.</p><p>With Chris gone, Piper could turn to Joey. She kept smiling. </p><p>A few hours ago, Joey started to come back from the movies when he found the Familiar Hunter chasing after Salem the Familiar. Joey acted quickly and created a blinding spell on the Familiar Hunter to prevent him from blinking or seeing them. It allowed Joey to grab Salem and bring them to the Manor for safety. And since Chris was already home, they could prepare for the fight. Chris rushed to get Piper from work so that she could help them while Joey brewed the vanquishing potion. Luckily, Chris and Piper made it back in time as the Familiar Hunter arrived to have his revenge. </p><p>The revenge strategy ended in death for the Familiar Hunter as Joey finished brewing the potion, allowing Piper to deliver the vanquishing blow. </p><p>Now, Piper held Joey’s arm as she took him back to the kitchen. “You did good, kid. I wish you didn’t put yourself in that much danger.”</p><p>“I couldn’t let a warlock kill a Familiar.” </p><p>“I know, sweetie. You’re a good witch and can’t help but get compelled to protect the innocent.” Piper stared at the kitchen to see the mess that Joey left. She chuckled as she went to examine the potion ingredients. She grabbed two empty jars. “Why are we out of the beetle toe and mustard seed? They were about half full last week.” Piper raised her eyebrows at Joey. “Who raised you? You didn’t need to use that much beetle toe and mustard seed to vanquish a warlock.” </p><p>Joey shrugged. “Wyatt and Chris are the potion masters, not me. And...I didn’t want to take any chances so I figured go big or risk getting killed.”</p><p>Piper chuckled and shook her head. She placed the jar back on the countertop. “Well, at least that line of thinking might help keep you alive if you become a Charmed One.” She sighed. “I guess we should go restock before we need them again. You want to come with me to the store?”</p><p>“Sure!”</p><p>*~*</p><p>They waited until Chris returned home before leaving to get the potion ingredients. Chris decided to stay home as Leo returned from P3, they would order family dinner, while Piper and Joey took care of the shopping.</p><p>Driving across town, Piper took them to the family’s favorite occult shop. It mostly operated as a tea shop and homeopathic supplies that local hipsters loved, but the shop owner also carried a special selection for witches. </p><p>No other customers occupied the store other than Piper and Joey, allowing them free reign of the aisles. </p><p>Joey strolled through the scented oils and mindlessly picked through the selection as Piper got the potion ingredients. He hummed along to the song playing on the speakers when he heard footsteps nearby followed by a woman’s soft voice. He ignored it at first until he realized the woman was speaking to him. </p><p>“Excuse me?” Joey nearly knocked over a row of oils as he responded to the woman, mildly startled. His nerves still suffered from a flight or fight trigger from the earlier encounter with the Familiar Hunter. The oils managed to stay on the shelves, making Joey sigh with relief. He tried to smile at the woman, attempting to play it cool. “Sorry. What was that?”</p><p>The ebony-haired woman chuckled. Her sapphire-colored eyes focused on Joey as she held a tray with a few small paper cups filled with a reddish liquid. “Would you like to try our new raspberry tea blend? It’s quite refreshing and soothing. You look like you could use some.”</p><p>Joey’s face scrunched up. He wasn’t the biggest fan of tea as he’d rather have a latte. Preferably a latte loaded with caramel syrup and whip cream. So...he wanted sugar. However, the woman didn’t look like someone who would take no for an answer. </p><p>“Sure.” Joey took a cup and sipped it. He could taste the raspberry and a little sugar. He licked his lip. “It’s a little sweet.”</p><p>The woman nodded. “I added a pinch of sweetener to it. Don’t tell the boss. He hates deviation from his recipe.”</p><p>“I promise.” Joey finished the rest of the cup with the woman grinning. Her sapphire eyes bore a mischievous glare that Joey didn’t notice. He emptied the cup and looked around for a trash can when she offered to dispose of it for him. “Oh! Thanks.” </p><p>“My pleasure.”</p><p>“Joey! Honey!” Piper stood near the cash register with the shop owner putting the potion ingredients in the bag. “Come on. We need to get home before your dad and brother mutiny against us for being late for dinner.”</p><p>Joey nodded. “Yes, mom!” Joey thanked the woman again for the tea before leaving to follow Piper out of the store.</p><p>As the door closed, the woman and shop owner cackled. The woman dumped the tea tray on the countertop as she gazed at the show owner. The shop owner’s appearance shifted from a bald, elderly man to a pink-haired female demon. </p><p>The pink-haired demon bowed slightly. “Your plan worked, Mistress Zurie. The boy consumed the tea as you wanted.”</p><p>Zurie nodded as she grabbed one of the cups and sipped it. She licked her lips, unconcerned of the concoction affecting her. “Yes. My restoration potion will do the trick. It will chip away at the Charmed One’s binding spell until they’re forced to reverse their spell themselves. Or else, little Joseph’s brain will explode as the potion and their spell conflict with his powers.”</p><p>Zurie chuckled. Her eyes flashed white as she could see the future that she desired playing out. She knew that Piper would reverse the spell, restoring Joey of his active power, which would set the stage for the next generation of Charmed Ones to rise. So far, everything went according to plan. </p><p>The pink-haired demon pointed to the backroom. “What of the owner and his employee? Should I kill them?”</p><p>“No.” Zurie sipped another cup of tea. “Use the memory-erasing potion on them. If we kill them then we risk Piper learning of what I did. We must keep Momma Bear as ignorant as possible until it is too late.” She stepped from the counter. She grabbed a red candle from the shelf that she planned to take with her. “I need her sons to claim the Power of Three. While they’re more powerful than their mother and her sisters, the boys are still young and ignorant. They will be the perfect pawns for everything that I have planned.”</p><p>“Yes, mistress.” The demon grabbed a potion vial filled with a lime-green liquid and went into the backroom to use it on the shop owner and his employee. </p><p>Zurie grinned. “Soon. It is almost time for the Hellfire Club to claim what is so rightfully ours and to eliminate all that dare to oppose us!” Her eyes flashed once more before flames covered her body and she retreated to her lair in the Underworld. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well that was a fun little one-shot to write. Any suggestions for something else? I'm thinking of doing something more geared towards Leo and his boys.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Memory Lane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey y'all! Sorry it took so long to make the Leo-chapter. Work and school are keeping me pretty busy but I finally had a decent enough break. Hope you enjoy it!</p><p>Also, this chapter takes place between Chapter 26 and 27 of the main series.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Don’t drop dad!” Wyatt’s voice boomed down the hall of Magic School. </p><p>“I’m not going to drop him!” Chris shouted back as he squinted his eyes at Leo’s office door.</p><p>Telekinetic force blasted the door open. Wyatt and Chris carried an unconscious Leo into the office and laid him on the couch. A sickly, green glow glistened across Leo’s skin. Joey walked inside with a panicked girl who had a red tome pressed against her chest. Wyatt and Chris started healing Leo, hoping it would pull Leo out of this state.</p><p>Only moments ago, Leo appeared perfectly fine until he consumed a shape-shifting potion for his Advanced Potions class. The recipe being one that the girl, Moira, made that she claimed was from her closely following the instructions. </p><p>Moira cried furiously. Her body trembled as she dropped the tome onto Leo’s desk. “I don’t know how this happened! I don’t know how I mixed up the potions.” She opened the tome to the page when she noticed something off. “Oh no!”</p><p>Joey looked away from his brothers to Moira. “What? Did you already figure out what went wrong?”</p><p>“Yes.” Moira showed the pages. “The pages got stuck together. I didn’t follow the shape-shifting potion recipe. I followed the sleeping draught potion recipe.”</p><p>“That’s easy enough to reverse,” Wyatt muttered as he backed away from Leo. He left Chris to keeping healing Leo as he walked over towards Joey and Moira. “Mom taught me the recipe. As long as you did nothing crazy, I can get dad back to normal.”</p><p>Moira shook her head. “This sleeping draught is...pretty bad.” She handed Wyatt the tome.</p><p>Wyatt closely read the recipe, including the description from the previous page. His eyes widened. “Gods! Fuck! This isn’t good.”</p><p>Chris looked over his shoulder while continuing to heal Leo. “What! Is dad stuck like this?”</p><p>“Worse!” Wyatt’s voice cracked. He kept the tome opened as he read the details out for everyone. “This sleeping draught traps the drinker into a nightmare-like state. It slowly drains the person’s life until their nightmares kill them.”</p><p>Moira’s crying got louder as she feared she accidentally killed Leo.</p><p>Joey gulped as he began crying too. “Can you make a reversal potion? Or should we try a Power of Three spell?”</p><p>“There’s a reversal potion recipe, but it’ll take time to make it.” Wyatt examined the following page as he found a promising lead. He nodded. “Keeping healing dad, Chris. It’ll slow the potion’s effects. Huh.” Wyatt turned to Joey. “Do you still have that student’s telepathic abilities? The ones you used to help Carver?”</p><p>Joey nodded, while his heart fluttered from the mention of Carver despite his panic over Leo’s wellbeing. “Sasha’s powers? Yeah? Why?”</p><p>“Use them!” Wyatt grabbed Moira’s hand. “Go into dad’s mind. It’s the nightmares that are killing him. If you can keep him away from the nightmares then you’ll buy us more time to finish the potion.” He glared at Moira. “You do exactly what I tell you! Because if your potion kills my dad then my mom’s coming here and kicking your ass. Got it?”</p><p>Moira frantically nodded as Wyatt orbed them back to the potion’s room.</p><p>With them gone, Joey collapsed next to Chris and the unconscious Leo. Leo groaned and his eyes twitched. Beads of sweat started to trickle from his forehead. Leo appeared sicklier even as Chris continued to use his healing powers. </p><p>Chris held back tears. He focused on healing Leo, doing his best to keep Leo alive. “Do it, Joe. I can already feel dad slipping.”</p><p>“Right!” Joey placed his hands on Leo’s face. Pink light began to faintly glow from Joey’s hands. The light warmed Leo’s skin as Joey used Sasha’s telepathic abilities to reach Leo’s mind. Joey prayed that he could save Leo like he did Carver.</p><p>Joey took a deep breath and allowed his mind to dive into Leo’s mindscape.</p><p>*~*</p><p>Pink light rippled across the rainforest with Joey following from the sky. He landed on his butt but surprisingly felt no pain. He reminded himself that he traveled into Leo’s mind, so he couldn’t really get hurt. However, while not fully aware of the effects of Moira’s potion, Joey knew that he needed to remain cautious.</p><p>Joey could hear rowdy cheering and catcall from behind. He gasped as he saw groups of men in makeshift, outdoor showers. Naturally, his eyes glanced at the naked men before he shook his head and reminded himself of why he came here. </p><p>“Gods,” whispered Joey, “don’t let me see my father naked.”</p><p>Avoiding the naked men, Joey walked around the showers. He saw a large encampment and when looking at the tropical environment it started to make sense. Leo’s nightmares brought Joey to Guadalcanal during World War II, the place where Leo watched his best friends die before dying himself. </p><p>The men kept acting like a rowdy mess. Joey went closer to the encampment as he did his best to recall what Leo looked like during this time. </p><p>“<em>Hey, Wyatt! You didn’t wait for us!</em>”</p><p>Joey looked at the showers and smiled as he saw Leo. Thankfully, Leo had his clothes on but looked noticeably wet. The younger Leo stood next to two young men that resembled one another, prompting Joey to remember Leo’s friends Rick and Nathan.</p><p>The larger of the two, Rick, stood shirtless and with a towel in hand. “<em>You rushed to the showers. What’s wrong? Too good to shower with your buddies?</em>”</p><p>The younger Leo laughed and shook his head. “<em>No. I just have to get back to the medic tents to work on patients. I’m in a bit of a rush. We can talk later, guys.</em>”</p><p>The shorter of the two, Nathan, nodded. “<em>Alright. Later, Wyatt.</em>”</p><p>However, as they started to go their separate ways, the roaring of airplanes echoed across the skies. Leo, Rick, Nathan, and every soldier at the encampment fell silent. The joyful aura replaced with an air of dread. </p><p>A second later came screaming. “<em>The Japs are back!</em>”</p><p>Every man at the camp began to run, getting ready for another battle. When Joey blinked, the scene shifted into that of a chaotic nightmare. </p><p>They remained at Guadalcanal, but not at the same place. Explosions rippled everywhere while guns fired. Away from the encampment, Leo’s mind brought Joey to a lone medic tent. Joey could see Leo frantically caring for injured soldiers alongside other medical staff. That’s when Joey saw Rick return with an injured Nathan, and he knew what would happen next.</p><p>“<em>You need to help Nathan! You can’t let him die, Leo!</em>” shouted Rick.</p><p>“<em>I can’t let those other men die alone!</em>” Leo grabbed his gear and started to leave the tent. “<em>The medics here can save Nathan. The others need me!</em>” </p><p>“<em>Leo!</em>” Rick shouted as Leo left the tent.</p><p>It happened so fast. From the sky, a bomb fell on the medic tent. Even in a nightmare, Joey could feel the heat burning against his skin, the deafening ring, and the mighty force that knocked Joey to his back. As Joey rolled onto his side, he saw Leo getting back on his feet.</p><p>Leo stood there, dumbstruck, to see what happened to the tent. “<em>No! Rick! Nathan!</em>”<br/>
The scene shifted once more. </p><p>Joey stumbled as he returned to the encampment’s showers. He looked around to see the same naked men from earlier again. “What the 1940s fuck is going on here?” Joey went around the showers to find Leo talking to Rick and Nathan again.</p><p>The same conversation repeated itself, which told Joey all that he needed to know. While Joey expected to visit other points in Leo’s life, it appeared that the potion’s effects found this moment torturous enough. </p><p>Joey ran to Leo, hoping to pull him out from the nightmare when the scene shifted again. Joey’s stomach churned as he felt ready to throw up. Once more, he stood at the medic tent moments before it got bombed. </p><p>“Fuck!” Joey took a deep breath. “I’m not doing this again.”</p><p>Leo started running from the medic tent. Rick screamed then the bomb dropped. This time Joey had kept enough distance. As Leo screamed in horror, Joey grabbed Leo’s hand.</p><p>Leo looked back. He gave a confused expression. “What? Who?”</p><p>“Dad! Listen to me!” Joey kept a tight hold on Leo’s hands. He looked to see reality slowly shifting and knew that they didn’t have much time left. “This isn’t really happening! You are trapped in a nightmare of your memories. You drank a potion that is slowly killing you, but I can help you! You just need to think happy thoughts.”</p><p>“Happy? Potion?” Leo shook his head. He tried to pull free from Joey’s grip. “I don’t know who you are! Let me go! I have to save my friends.”</p><p>Joey squeezed Leo’s hands harder. “Dad! They’re dead! Rick and Nathan are dead! And years later, they return as ghosts who try to kill you and kill mom! Piper! You have to remember us, dad!”</p><p>Leo stood still. “Piper?” Piper’s name slipped from his tongue. More tears trickled from his eyes, replacing the ones he shed for Rick and Nathan. Leo stopped putting up a fight. “Joey. Joey!” Leo shook his head. “Right. You said it was the potion. What do I do?”</p><p>“I still have Sasha’s telepathic powers. If you remember happier memories, I should be able to pull you from the nightmares. That’ll help Chris who is healing you and it should give Wyatt enough time to brew the potion.”</p><p>“Wyatt. Chris.” Leo closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay...happier memories.”</p><p>Pink light covered Leo and Joey as reality shifted away from the wartorn rainforest. </p><p>*~*</p><p>Leo and Joey arrived in familiar surroundings. For a second, they thought that they escaped the mindscape as they stood in the garage of Halliwell Manor. However, they soon heard Leo’s voice coming from a slightly younger Leo.</p><p>“<em>Pass me the wrench, Wyatt.</em>” A slightly younger Leo leaned over the hood of a truck next to a thirteen-year-old Wyatt. </p><p>Teenage Wyatt lazily handed the wrench to Leo, while holding a flashlight. “<em>Dad, this is super boring. Why am I even here?</em>”</p><p>The younger Leo chuckled. “<em>You need to learn how to do basic car maintenance, Wyatt. It’s a skill that everyone should have.</em>”</p><p>Joey cracked a smile. He bumped elbows with Leo. “A skill that I do not have.”</p><p>Leo huffed. “Not from a lack of effort. I tried. You were too stubborn to learn.”</p><p>Before Joey could mount a defense, teenage Wyatt’s groans echoed across the garage.</p><p>Teenage Wyatt half-assed kept the flashlight raised enough so that the younger Leo could see. “<em>Whatever. I could just pay a mechanic to do the work for me.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Or you can be your own mechanic.</em>” The younger Leo handed teenage Wyatt the wrench. “<em>Let’s trade. You tighten the bolts and I’ll hold the flashlight.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Really?</em>” Teenage Wyatt expressed mild interest as he gave Leo the flashlight and took the wrench. “<em>Alright!</em>”</p><p>As the scene continued playing, Joey scrunched his face. Joey turned to Leo. “I get that this is more pleasant than reliving the day that you died, but why this memory? Is this the best you can remember?”<br/>
 <br/>
Leo shook his head. He pointed at the younger him and teenage Wyatt. “I have so many happy memories. So many with your mom, but it’s the ones that I have with you and your brothers that I treasure the most.” Leo scratched his head. He thought of this memory in particular. “This is one of the last good ones I have with Wyatt for a long time. We butted heads for so long when he was a teenager that I just miss the moments where we actually got along.” Leo smirked. “At least we’re on good terms now.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Joey nodded as he had plenty of memories of teenage Wyatt. “Wyatt really was a horrible teenager. Aren’t you glad that Chris and I are so much easier?”</p><p>Before Leo answered, reality shifted. They were inside the manor, but the place appeared like a disaster. Joey yelped as he saw a bald man in scrubs on the floor in a pool of blood. He looked to spot a broken wall to find Piper and Prue in similar pools of blood. </p><p>Leo fell silent as an eerie wind howled around them. The front door to the manor slammed shut with the stainglass shattering. Tears trickled down his face. “This is the day that Shax killed Prue. The day that your mom almost died too.”</p><p>“Gods.” Joey covered his mouth. “We need to get out of here. We can’t risk this bad memory being what kills you.” He reached for Leo’s hands again. He forced Leo to look at him, avoiding the pain. “You said that you treasure the memories of us the most! Pick another Wyatt memory! Or one of me! Or a Chris memory!”</p><p>“Right. A memory of you boys.” Leo closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. “Something good.”</p><p>The scene shifted again. This time they stood at a park where they heard the sounds of children playing and neighboring city traffic. On a bright sunny day, Joey wondered what memory Leo chose.</p><p>It didn’t take long to find out. Leo spoke softly as they heard crying nearby. They found a younger Leo once more with an eight-year-old Chris covering a scrapped knee while his bike laid on the sidewalk. Little Chris didn’t care if anyone saw him cry. He felt too much pain from falling off his bike.</p><p>The younger Leo brushed Chris’s shaggy hair. “<em>Hey, bud. It’s okay. You’ll be okay.</em>” He gently pushed Chris’s hands to expose the knee. The skin peeled a little but there was no serious injury. “<em>See! You barely scraped the skin.</em>”</p><p>“<em>But it hurts,</em>” cried little Chris.</p><p>“<em>I know, buddy.</em>” The younger Leo smiled. “<em>I wish I still had my magic so I could heal you, but I’m powerless. Not like you. You’re so strong. Just like your mom and aunties.</em>”</p><p>Little Chris scrunched his face. “<em>Really? You think I’m strong?</em>”</p><p>“<em>Of course! The strongest.</em>” Leo started to help little Chris onto his feet. “<em>Wyatt might have more powers than you, but you’re a tough kid. You can take a hit and get back up. Remember when you protected Joey from that bully? Even after the bully punched you, you made sure that the bully couldn’t get to Joey.</em>”</p><p>Joey chuckled. He couldn’t even recall the bully incident even though he heard the story a million times. </p><p>Back when they were kids, some bully at the park shoved Joey off the monkey bars. Joey got cut on his arm and when the bully went to attack Joey again, Chris stepped up to protect him. Chris took a punch to the face and while he didn’t beat up the bully or use his magic, Chris didn’t cry at all when he got punched that it scared the bully as their parents got there to break up the fight before it began.</p><p>Little Chris nodded. “<em>I am pretty strong.</em>”</p><p>“<em>That’s right.</em>” The younger Leo pointed to the bike. “<em>Are you ready to give it another try?</em>”</p><p>“<em>Okay, dad</em>.” Little Chris grabbed the bike and climbed back on it. He started peddling with the younger Leo staying close to watch. </p><p>And this time, little Chris didn’t fall. He proved determined enough to stay on the bike and got used to it enough where he started riding like a little pro.</p><p>As little Chris and the younger Leo cheered, Joey couldn’t help but laugh. Joey patted Leo’s back. “Teaching Chris to ride a bike? That’s your favorite Chris memory?”</p><p>“One of many.” Leo had a big smile on his face. “Chris was always so independent. He wanted to do everything on his own without anyone holding his hand. It felt good to see his softer side. He needed me for a change.”</p><p>Joey smiled. He grabbed Leo’s hand. “How about we try a memory of me this time? Before the nightmares can come back?”</p><p>Leo nodded. He closed his eyes and focused.</p><p>The park vanished and they returned once more the manor. However, this time, they stood in Joey’s bedroom, which looked far more childish than it did presently. Joey chuckled as he saw stuffed animals and toys everywhere. He looked to a tiny bed with Spongebob Squarepants bedsheets where a four-year-old Joey in his Goofy pajamas curled up against a younger Leo. Little Joey’s face looked pretty red and he coughed as he stared at a tablet that played the movie <em>Hercules</em>. </p><p>They could hear the Muses singing “The Gospel Truth.” Little Joey groaned as he buried himself against the younger Leo.</p><p>Joey crossed his arms. “I don’t remember this. What’s wrong with me?”</p><p>Leo stood closer to Joey, while watching his younger self-care for little Joey. “You had strep. A really bad case too where we had to send Wyatt and Chris to stay with Paige and Henry for the weekend before you gave it to them.” Leo chuckled. Not from little Joey’s pain, but all the memories associated with such a memory. “Every time you got sick, you became the clingiest little boy ever. And you always wanted me around. Not your mom. Not Wyatt. Not Chris. Just me.”</p><p>The memory kept playing out. </p><p>The younger Leo rubbed little Joey’s arm. “<em>Okay, Joe. Could we watch another movie?</em>”</p><p>“<em>I like this movie,</em>” mumbled little Joey with a scratchy voice.</p><p>“<em>I know, baby, I do too, but this is our third time watching it. Why don’t we watch Aladdin or Little Mermaid?</em>”</p><p>Little Joey shook his head. “<em>No. Hercules. I like him a lot.</em>”</p><p>The younger Leo chuckled. “<em>Because he’s so tough? Like your daddy?</em>”</p><p>“<em>No.</em>” Little Joey said, bluntly. He grabbed a blanket, curling into it and the younger Leo. “<em>He’s handsome. Like Aladdin too.</em>” Little Joey laid his head against the younger Leo’s chest. “<em>I’m Meg. And I want a Hercules.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Okay</em>.” The younger Leo didn’t pay too much attention on little Joey’s words. “<em>If we skip to Meg’s song can we then watch something else?</em>”</p><p>“<em>Fine</em>.”</p><p>As the younger Leo skipped to that scene, Leo turned to Joey. Leo shook his head. “That should’ve been the moment I realized that you’re gay.”</p><p>Joey chuckled. “Yeah...I forgot that I had a big crush on Hercules. I guess that explains why I dated Apollo.” </p><p>Leo nodded as he gave a deep sigh. “So many happy memories…”</p><p>“And still more to make.” Joey crossed his arms. “Wyatt and Veronica’s kid will be here soon. Then, you can make memories as Grandpa Leo! I bet Chris and Bianca will have a kid not too long either.” Joey turned, expecting to see Leo only to find that he was alone. He looked back at the bed to see it empty now, which made Joey’s heart sink. “Dad! Dad!”</p><p>Joey ran out of his childhood bedroom when reality shifted and he heard screaming.</p><p>*~*</p><p>“Snap out of it, Joey! Or I will fucking slap you!” Wyatt’s voice echoed across Leo’s office.</p><p>Joey gasped. Pink energy rippled across his body as he released the telepathic link. He fell from the couch and once more landed on the ground, but this time felt a sharp pain. “Ow!” Joey started rubbing his butt. “Why does this keep happening!”</p><p>“What are you even talking about?” Wyatt stood with his arms crossed and an empty potion vial in hand, while Moira was still crying as she cowered next to him.</p><p>It took a second for everything to click. Joey could recall everything now. He started to ask about Leo when he heard Leo’s voice.</p><p>Leo sat up on the couch with Chris kneeling next to him. Leo smiled. “Thanks for helping me stroll down memory lane, Joe.”</p><p>Joey sighed. He crawled onto the couch, relieved to see that Wyatt’s potion worked. “Any time, dad.” He chuckled. “Maybe we can watch Hercules later to help you feel better.”</p><p>Leo chuckled. Wyatt and Chris squinted their eyes, confused from this inside joke. </p><p>Soon, Moira dropped to her knees next to Leo, still crying. “I’m sorry, Headmaster Leo! I’m so sorry that I messed up the potion recipe. Gods. I almost killed you!”</p><p>“It’s okay, Moira.” Leo held Moira’s hand. “I’m fine now. Everything will be fine.” He sighed. “Next time though, double-check the potion recipe before you start brewing. Okay?”</p><p>“Yes sir!”</p><p>Wyatt and Chris went over to Joey as Leo continued to assuage Moira’s guilt. They applauded Joey for a job well done, but Joey didn’t think about his part in saving Leo. Instead, Joey focused on the weight of Leo’s precious memories. Memories that made him smile.</p><p>Wyatt poked Joey’s face. “What you grinning for, weirdo? You look like a creeper.”</p><p>Joey rolled his eyes. “Nothing. I’m just thinking about how much dad loves us.” He glanced at them both, grinning a little. “We’re what matters most to him.” Wyatt and Chris started smiling too. “Maybe we should start organizing a father-sons day now and again.”</p><p>Chris shrugged. “I’m down for that. Personally, I think I spend too much time around you clowns, but I’m opening to hanging out with dad more often.”</p><p>Wyatt leaned over Joey to flick Chris’s ear. “Don’t ruin this beautiful moment, broody one.”</p><p>“Says the hot mess,” mumbled Joey.</p><p>Wyatt gasped, while Chris chuckled. Naturally, Wyatt started to pick on Joey with Chris jumping in to argue with them both. Their arguing caused Moira to forget nearly killing Leo for a second as she focused on their nonsense. </p><p>Leo grinned and shook his head. “What would I do without these boys?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Family Feud</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! Sorry, it's been forever since I lasted updated. I got backed up with job applications, teaching, graduation, and inspiration for my novel. I meant to post this chapter last week but I forgot all about it till now! Haha.</p><p>So this is a Bianca chapter that picks up after Chapter 10 to cover some of what she was up to until she returned in Chapter 17. I hope you enjoy it!</p><p>Kudos and comments are much appreciated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Driving through the dusty plains of West Texas, Bianca thanked her stars that she wouldn’t have to keep her eyes on the road for much longer.</p><p>Bianca drove her Lexus onto a gravel driveway in Lubbock. She made it before the storm hit which she found somewhat comforting if not ominous. And while the road sucked, she approached a rather grand three-story craftsman house. She cut the engine off and grabbed an athame, bracing herself for whatever might come next.</p><p>For the last three months, Bianca spent her time on the run from her more ambitious relatives. Killing her mother Lynn meant that Bianca declared war on the Phoenix Coven. And if she were to survive then she had to kill anyone that opposed her before she could claim leadership of the coven. That was the Phoenix Code. Something that Bianca wanted no part of, but now found herself bound to follow. </p><p>However, Bianca understood that she had to take the leadership mantle. Otherwise, her relatives would go after Chris and his family too for their hand in killing Lynn. She wanted to end the bloodshed. And as she approached the front steps, she hoped that this encounter would end peacefully.</p><p>Before reaching the steps, a trio of men in leather jackets shimmered onto the front porch. Bianca clenched onto the athame and sharpened her stance. Dark eyes glared at Bianca as the bronze-skinned men conjured energy balls to their hands. The oldest of the men had a few strays of gray in dirty-blond hair, while the other two still had babyish faces. </p><p>The oldest man huffed. “Come to execute us like your mother? Or like Sylvia and Fredrico?”</p><p>A handful of relatives fell before Bianca in the last few months. She killed her cousin Fredrico in Las Vegas and her great-aunt Sylvia in Albuquerque. The thoughts of what Bianca did to survive, protect Chris, and end the feud would haunt her, but she had to remind herself of her greater goal. “Maybe.” Bianca relaxed her grip. “I’m hoping not to repeat that past with you, Tio Gregorio. Are you willing to give peace a chance with your favorite niece?”</p><p>Gregorio chuckled. He snuffed out the energy ball with the younger men doing the same. “Boys, don’t be so rude. Greet your cousin.”</p><p>“Yo, B!” said the older of the two. He had a jagged scar on his left cheek </p><p>Bianca nodded. “Andres. Good to see you.” She glanced at the younger of the two. “Hi, Marco.”</p><p>Marco rolled his eyes as he followed his arms across his chest. “Are we really going to protect the traitor, dad? We should have her head for killing Tia Lynn.”</p><p>Gregorio patted Marco’s shoulder. “Leave Bianca be. It was about time that we needed a new Phoenix Crown. Besides, Lynn was bad for the family business. So were Sylvia and Fredrico. They got in too deep with the demons.” Gregorio started walking down the porch. He opened his arms to Bianca. “Now, mija, here has some potential. She even got in good with a Charmed One. That’s potentially good for business.”</p><p>“Ever the opportunist, tio.” Bianca hugged Gregorio. “I guess that means I can count on your help? I want to rally enough support quickly to end this civil war without further bloodshed.”</p><p>Gregorio smirked. “You can count on us. Now, come inside. We can discuss everything where it’s safer. Being out in the open like this will leave us exposed.”</p><p>Following Gregorio’s lead, Bianca entered her uncle’s home. Her gaze shifted as she noticed Andres smirking while Marco huffed in annoyance. She didn’t know what to make of her cousins, but she had a good feeling about her uncle at least which was more than she expected.</p><p>*~*</p><p>Green liquid bubbled over the cauldron. Bianca added more cobra venom as she finished brewing a potion powerful enough to vanquish a Phoenix. She had to circumvent and suppress their resurrection abilities, which meant using more venom than she would for anyone else. And since she couldn’t rely on the blessing of the Power of Three, more venom would have to do the trick. </p><p>In Gregorio’s basement, Bianca found some refuge after spending so long on the run. She almost forgot what good sheets, a soft mattress, and a hot shower felt like after having to survive in roadside motels to avoid her more volatile relatives.</p><p>A puff of smoke rose from the cauldron. “Finished,” Bianca whispered. She started to pour the contents into a set of vials. </p><p>Last night, she spoke for hours with Gregorio about the family. He already knew a few relatives that they could work with, while also getting a list ready of those who needed persuading and those who would never join the cause. </p><p>As they spoke, Bianca could sense Gregorio had his mindset on protecting his profits, which didn’t bother Bianca too much. Demon clients had a nasty history of trying to backstab the family so it didn’t shock Bianca that Gregorio wanted to cut the demons off. If she could use Gregorio’s capitalistic mindset to her advantage then so be it.</p><p>“Why does this place smell like death?” Footsteps echoed alongside the voice. Bianca looked over her shoulder to spot Andres. He fake coughed, pretending that the fumes had started to poison him too. </p><p>Bianca huffed. “To think that Julliard rejected a talented actor like you.”</p><p>“Ouch!” Andres leaned against a nearby wooden beam. “You hurt my feelings! I should call Fredrico’s parents.”</p><p>“You done?” Bianca corked a potion. “I’m trying to blow myself up with these vanquishing potions.”</p><p>Andres waved his hand. “Don’t let me bother you. I just wanted to check on my favorite cousin. You know. I haven’t seen you since you bailed on the family. Now, here you are. Going all Liam Neeson on the family. And you hooked up with a Charmed One!”</p><p>Bianca squinted her eyes at him. “Don’t sound so judgy. I recall you killing a client then fucking his daughter.”</p><p>Andres chuckled. “I’m not judging. I have nothing but respect for you.” Andres licked his lips. He looked at the countertop, examining every ingredient that she used to brew the potion. “It takes real guts to turn against the family as you did and to sleep with an enemy too. Now, here you are, looking to overthrow the family. This sounds like a lot of fun.”</p><p>“You’re such a rebel without a cause.”</p><p>“Not anymore. You gave me something to fight for.” Andres sighed. “Well. Later, B! I’ll see you for the family dinner. Dad is inviting over the Memphis and New Orleans clans. So...get ready to drink and have some potions ready. We don’t know if they’ll go along with this plan.”</p><p>Bianca nodded as she clenched one of the potion vials, mentally bracing herself for tonight. “Right. See you later, Andres.”</p><p>*~*</p><p>That evening, Bianca came downstairs to join her family for dinner. A satchel filled with vanquishing potions dangled in her hand. She changed into a fitted blouse with a pair of slacks. Unaware of how tonight would turn out, she made sure to dress both to impress and to fight.</p><p>Wandering into the dining room, Bianca found the table still empty but could smell smoked meat and cornbread from the kitchen. The hairs on her neck stood up. She looked around to find her uncle and cousins nowhere nearby. </p><p>Bianca grabbed a potion from the satchel. “Am I too early for the barbecue dinner? I thought you agreed at seven o’clock sharp?”</p><p>“Sharp is the operative word.” Gregorio’s voice echoed across the house. Bianca spun around to find Gregorio with Andres and Marco. Their eyes locked onto her as she noticed that they came armed with athames.</p><p>Gregorio smirked. “It’s nothing personal, my dear. Just good business.”</p><p>Bianca knew that she could vanquish one of them with the potion, but she couldn’t see how she could get the other two before they got to her first. She thumbed the potion vial, keeping her eyes on them. “How is killing me good for business?” She eyed Marco coming a little closer. Her hand twitched as she nearly threw the potion at him, but she didn’t want to waste it just yet. “This isn’t the first time that a Crown died and their killer takes their place.”</p><p>“Very true,” said Gregorio. “But you failed to account for outside factors. We got word from Zurie. She put a hit on you so killing you keeps us in her good graces. Which means more profits for us.”</p><p>“Of course she would.” Bianca moved to throw the potion at Greogiro. “You profit-seeking bastard!”</p><p>Gregorio flicked his wrist before Bianca could throw the potion. A chair moved from the dining room table and slid behind Bianca. Andres flicked his wrist to push Bianca onto the chair, which forced her to drop the potion and satchel. She was left defenseless as Marco copied Gregorio and Andres, flicking his wrist to wrap her in thick chains. The padlock sealed itself, keeping Bianca bound and vulnerable. </p><p>Gregorio rubbed his hands. “Oh, Bianca. A shame it has to end like this. You were always my favorite niece.”</p><p>Andres licked his lips as he brought his athame to his cheek. “Can I kill her first? I’d really like to slit her pretty throat.”</p><p>Marco rolled his eyes. He rubbed the amber ring on his left hand while keeping a close watch on Bianca. “Chill with graphic language, bro. We’re assassins, not misogynists.”</p><p>“Yes.” Gregorio reached for one of the potions. “Remember. Bianca’s still family. Even if we have to kill her to make a fortune, we can still keep it respectful.” Andres huffed. </p><p>Bianca seethed. She struggled against the chains, unable to break herself free. And she knew that no help would come to rescue her as she broke things off with Chris so he wouldn’t know of the trouble that she faced. She would have no choice but to face certain death. </p><p>Bianca closed her eyes.</p><p>“Goodbye, Bianca.” Gregorio prepared to throw the potion. “Say hi to your mother for me.”</p><p>As Gregorio prepared to vanquish Bianca, Marco brought his amber ring to his lips. Marco whispered into the ring. “<em>Nunc autem venit.</em>”</p><p>Suddenly, a pair of young women shimmered behind Gregorio and Andres. A red-headed woman and a black-haired woman appeared, dressed in leather jackets. They shoved their fists into Gregorio and Andres’ back. Small portals manifested into their backs, causing them to howl in agony. Gregorio dropped the potion while he and Andres collapsed to their knees, continuing to scream. </p><p>Marco ran towards Bianca, picking up the satchel along the way. “Sorry, prima. I had a role to play.” He flicked his wrist to break the lock. Bianca could push the chains off, freeing herself from imprisonment. “Lucky for you that I actually like you.”</p><p>Bianca squinted at Marco. The urge to hit him only faded when she reminded herself not to overlook the rescue. She shifted her gaze onto the young women. “Laura? Nicole? Why are you here?”</p><p>The redhead, Laura, grinned. “Marco told us of your little revolution so we wanted in.”</p><p>Nicole nodded as she took the potion that Gregorio dropped. “The family needs to change its way. And your our best chance of making that happen.”</p><p>Marco tossed a potion to Laura then handed another to Bianca before grabbing one for himself. “Sorry for acting like a bit of a dick. I knew that my dad and Andres would kill you the first chance that they got. I had to play along so that I could spring my trap.”</p><p>Groans echoed. Gregorio and Andres had burn marks on their backs from Laura and Nicole power-stripping them. While Laura and Nicole didn’t finish the deed, they left Gregorio and Andres powerless enough that they weren’t much of a threat.</p><p>Marco stared down at Gregorio and Andres. “Let’s put an end to them.”</p><p>“You sure?” asked Bianca. “They’re still your dad and brother.”</p><p>“That’s why we have to vanquish them. They’re too big of a threat to let them go free.” Marco nodded. He raised his arm. “Now!” He threw the vanquishing potion.</p><p>Bianca, Laura, and Nicole followed Marco’s example. They tossed their vanquishing potions at Gregorio and Andres. The potions unleashed a fiery explosion that Gregorio and Andres had no hopes of surviving. Their screams lingered for a moment before fading out as only specks of ash remained behind. </p><p>*~*</p><p>On the front porch, Marco leaned against the rail as he stared out to the starry sky.</p><p>Bianca slowly approached him. Her arms crossed as she looked to the stars. The stunning beauty of the night sky distracting her from killing more of her extended relatives. “Laura and Nicole called their clans. They’re on our team too.” Bianca patted his arm. “How are you?”</p><p>Marco sighed. “It sucks having to vanquish your family.” He chuckled. “You would know that though. You killed your mom.”</p><p>“It was either her or me,” said Bianca. “Plus...I had someone else to protect too.”</p><p>“The Charmed One?”</p><p>Bianca nodded. “His name is Chris. He’s a pretty nice guy. And we even have a history together in an alternate reality.”</p><p>Marco clicked his tongue. He didn’t exactly understand how or why Bianca would know of what happened in an alternate reality. Not that it mattered given their present situation. “Well, maybe if we stop this feud before it gets too messy then you can go back to Chris. A pretty nice guy might not wait for you forever.”</p><p>Bianca backed away from the rail. “You’re probably right. So, let’s get back inside and eat that barbecue before it goes bad.” Bianca went back inside with Marco not too far behind. They tried to forget the troubles of tonight and the troubles of tomorrow to enjoy what little peace that they had in front of them. </p>
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